Veranda Post (Opo Ogoga)

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Date:

1910/14

Artist:

Olowe of Ise (died 1938)YorubaIkere, NigeriaCoastal West Africa

About this artwork

One of four posts sculpted for the palace of the king (ogoga) of Ikere, this evocative image of the Yoruba concept of a divine ruler is a masterwork of Olowe of Ise. The renowned artist’s dynamic style can be distinguished by the interrelationships between figures, their exaggerated proportions, and the use of open space. The sculptor’s diminutive portrayal of the king suggests his dependence on others, and his crown has been emphasized to evoke the spiritual power residing within it. The towering image of the king’s senior wife standing behind him underscores her superior status as a guardian of her husband’s interests, endowed with keen political understanding and supernatural knowledge. She would have placed the crown on the king’s head during his enthronement ceremony. The smaller figures at the king’s feet represent one of his junior wives and the flute-playing trickster god Eshu.

Onijagbo Obasoro Alowolodu, Ogaga (King) of Ikere (reigned 1890-1928), Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria, from 1914; by descent to his heirs, Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria and later Federal Republic of Nigeria, until at least 1964 [in situ photographs from 1937, 1959, and 1964, copies in curatorial file]. Gaston T. de Havenon (died 1993), New York, N.Y., by 1981 [documentation in curatorial file]; sold to the Art Institute, 1984.